Lisbon, 18 – 20 May 2011 / 44th meeting
Agenda
Item 1.b
Document: REITOX/44/01b
Final conclusions 43rd Reitox Heads of Focal Points meeting
1. Introduction & welcome address
- Draft conclusions of 42nd RTX meeting HFP adopted and to be published on the EMCDDA public website.2. Feedback and updates
a. Reitox Spokesperson
FONTE- Not the best tool for collecting qualitative info such as structured questionnaires
- Training in May 2011 to have two sessions: process-related discussion, how you really work with the offline tool, etc…, and another one which would be like a technical training for FONTE users (50% HFP willing to attend).
CONTENT-RELATED MEETINGS
- Suggestion to change the organisation of meetings and use some different techniques for subgroups workshops
SUPPLY INDICATOR CONFERENCE
- NFPs are interested and motivated to follow-up the conclusions of the conference and to provide input for further reflection
- Working groups (3) presumably EMCDDA will be involved, NFPs should be involved too.
- In 2011 it would be good to have possibly a half-day discussion on this issue at the next HFP meeting of May 2011
EDDRA and BEST PRACTICE
- Acknowledge the fact that developmental work is under way in this area
- The role of the NFPs on the whole is remaining quite unclear
- NFPs are very interested to know more about the proposal of common definition for Best Practice
QUALITY FEEDBACK
- Standard formal letter sent by EMCDDA regarding the deadlines and the missing info and/or questionnaires can sometimes have unexpected negative impact
- The point was made to RTX Spokespersons that this could matter when or if the letter was sent to a member of the Management Board (could adversely affect the way support is provided).
- EMCDDA should start by informal communication
GUIDELINES 2011
- There were a couple of request for clarification that remained unanswered
- Selected Issues: the Mandatory selected issue has lost its way compared with what we agreed a few years ago (it should be focused, etc…).
- SI on Prisons should be more focused and more limited, NFPs consider there is too much being asked.
- To some extent, the SI on drug tourism is also a problem, while the third SI seems to be more acceptable.
OVERALL STRUCTURE REPORTING AND REPORTING CYCLE
- The amount of info requested to NFPs has increased over the recent years
- Using a variety of tools and instruments that have developed over time
- There is a general feeling that it is now time to have a look at the general national reporting package (probably there will be a range of balance to be struck, e.g. between regular routine monitoring and asking new questions and new topics - taking into account the ability of NFPs to provide the data and the ability EMCDDA to use and to analyse the data).
- There is a general feeling that the workload increased substantially, that there are plenty of interesting questions, but that it would be necessary to look at the whole package and to prioritize, and to realize really that there is always more being asked. Tasks should be more realistic.
Proposal REITOX Coordinator:
FONTE
- To be dealt with during session on FONTE
- Practical issues to be analysed from both RTX ACA perspective and concrete organisation of RTX HFP meeting
CONTENT-RELATED MEETINGS
- RTX Coordination and RTX Spokespersons to work together on an alternative proposal for the organisation and animation of RTX HFP meetings to be presented at the next RTX HFP meeting of May 2011.
SUPPLY INDICATOR CONFERENCE
- Topic to be dealt with during session on Supply Indicators, and on WP 2011, when the Scientific Director will be present.
EDDRA and BEST PRACTICE
- Comment was already taken on board and will be discussed during workshop on Thursday afternoon
QUALITY FEEDBACK should be replaced by GRANT MANAGEMENT
- Topic will be discussed during Friday morning session on Grant Agreements
GUIDELINES 2011
- Comments will be dealt with on Thursday morning.
OVERALL STRUCTURE REPORTING AND REPORTING CYCLE
- Those questions deserve a careful attention and should be discussed together with the Director and the Scientific Director
- Other comments to be discussed in the session of Thursday morning on WP 2011 and guidelines
- EMCDDA is aware of the need to reassess the whole reporting system, both from the side of the inputs to the system (national reporting packages), and from the side of the outputs (publications from the EMCDDA). To be discussed with Scientific Director.
Proposal adopted by the NFPs
b. Challenges and perspectives 2010-2011: EMCDDA
Participants welcome the overview provided by the Director and by Margareta Nilson on the EMCDDA, Management Board, and Scientific Committee.Comment Deputy-Spokesperson on behalf of NFPs: fully support the idea that we should keep and maintain reputation built over 15 years. At the same time would like to share views about how to strike a balance between consolidation of results and developing new topics (and taking into account the new structure of the Centre, new units, new approaches like technical meeting with some GPs, etc…). Would like to debate with EMCDDA how to do more with same resources and at the same time to keep all quality and all activities.
EMCDDA Director’s vision of things is to plan on the basis of the outputs that we would like to produce, not only talking about resources. Starting point is or should be “what we would like to produce?”, to have a first list of products that is then confronted with resources, priorities, likeliness (old and new ideas on same basis).
In addition to that, it is foreseen in the 2011 Work Programme to launch a systemic review process where all those issues will be discussed, in consultation with the Reitox Heads of Focal Points.
c. Challenges and perspectives 2010-2011: European Commission
Need to make results of EU-funded projects more visible, a publication is foreseen by the EC over the next 6 months.Cooperation with EMCDDA for dissemination of Research info and outputs is considered as very important.
3. Conference on Supply Indicators
Comments from FR- Monitoring topic: could be defined as a set of indicators
- Drug related crime: believe it is more a matter of research, rather than a set of standard indicators
Comments from HU
- Good idea to invite experts from other countries
- Has the feeling that it will be almost an impossible task to make indicators for all the topics described
- Question: on which basis EMCDDA will select the participants in the working groups?
Comments from PL
- Would be very interesting to have an half-day meeting at the next May meeting.
- Topic for concern are the guidelines for National Report. Chapter 9,10.
Reactions EMCDDA
- OK with comments from FR on DRC, one of the objectives of the working groups is to assess what is to be covered by indicator or what can only be a matter for research.
- Very small working groups, not thinking about appointment by MS, will be competence-based.
- The question is beyond standard recurrent data collection like the system in place with the Reitox network, so EMCDDA and scientific partners need to build a broader framework.
- NFPs will be regularly informed and consulted during the process
- In each working group an expert from a NFP will be invited, but on basis of competences
- NFPs asked for a special discussion/workshop on their experience and difficulties at the May 2011 meeting, would also appreciate to receive a detailed feedback of their contribution to data collection in this area in the last 15 years.
4. Reitox: recent developments and perspectives
Glossary project- NFPs that have not yet provided the EMCDDA with their contribution have committed to do so as soon as possible.
- The Glossary exercise was a first step in the process, more words and more topics should be included in the future, the means and methods to do so will be discussed at the May meeting.
RTX Development Strategy – Handbook on National Drug Observatories
- NFPs welcome the overview and the latest developments presented.
- Reitox Coordination to make a proposal for follow-up in consultation with the Reitox Spokespersons through written consultation by end of February, to be further discussed at May meeting.
- Italian NFP presented the project of Reitox Academy for the National Network of Regional Drug Observatories (NIOD), based on the Handbook on Building National Drug Observatories, to take place in Lisbon in December.
EMCDDA cooperation with ENP partners countries
- Reitox & International Cooperation unit to organise a consultation of Reitox Coaches early in 2011 for consolidation of the RTX Coaching System and its future extension to ENP and other non-EU countries. Methodology to be presented at the next May meeting.
5. 2011 EMCDDA work programme
NFPs welcome the presentation made by the EMCDDA Director and by the Scientific Director.Main comments:
NL
- Very interesting and comprehensive work programme, sometimes difficult to perceive how and to which level of detail the EMCDDA intends to do some of its things.
- Request for some details about Data warehouse, data labs, database on national OST: are there enough data background for this?
- Best practice portal module: maybe some info on what GREAT system is?
- What is planned about Treatment services ?
UK
- Overall comment always made about the WP is that it is ambitious, and this comes every year – and it is right to be so.
- Challenge: keep the balance between three things: maintain regular programme, new areas, and review.
- Role of NFPs in development of Drug Supply Indicator: NFPs want to contribute to this work centrally and could potentially become the unique entry point for that;
- Second question is Best Practice and EDDRA and role NFPs;
- Systemic Review came out as something that NFPs very much welcome and share the diagnosis to assess both inputs, processes and outputs. NFPs look forward to participate actively in this process. Of all points mentioned this is probably the most important point in the WP.
FR
- Supply Indicators: some NFPs have expertise and interest and would like to be involved or associated and would like to know what they can do and how?
- Internet surveys: what are the projects of EMCDDA in this area?
DK
- Welcome very much the work on the DRID protocol, it is an important indicator and a difficult one. Good to gather experts and NFPs and finalise the protocol.
- Cooperation with ECDC is interesting, would like to know more about it.
- KHAT: interesting survey in DK on prevalence and consequences, and changes of use among Somali population, results are presented in the National Report.
Answer EMCDDA Scientific Director
- we are ambitious, yes, but EMCDDA Director takes care there is an internal monitoring of the implementation of what we announced, and overall we do quite well in implementing those activities (by “we”, we mean both EMCDDA and NFPs).
- What is sometimes difficult is to reflect the scope and the importance of things, there may be some need to see how to mention those activities without having they appearing with the same size or importance of some major activities.
- Also important to reflect in the WP the routine data collection, this takes an important part of the work of the centre.
- Supply Reduction: we started a process in tandem and in cooperation with the Commission. We need to draft a roadmap and see how to work, how to organize the work etc… but at this stage we are too short after the conference to get already a concrete answer to all those questions. We try to work out how to go on with this work, more info will be available in the coming months, and NFPs who have interest could make suggestions.
- There are methodological issues on sampling in Internet studies. It is an all new methodological area; there should be some small methodological work group in this area.
- Data warehouse: term we use for internal tools used for analysing data, like the backbone of FONTE
- Data Labs: to do more interesting data when need de-aggregated data, while respecting needs for copyright, ownership, etc… The idea is to invite on voluntary basis experts for a data lab exercise allowing for a new analysis that would not be possible in any other way.
- Need to work on total treatment coverage. There is very much trying to work out what is available and what is feasible.
- In terms of auditing, we collect non-standardised studies on drugs situations in prisons, without having the opportunity to critically assess their quality and what we can do with them.
- Case level data: individual data anonymous can be very interesting but is very sensitive. So we think that what we could do is case-level analysis. EMCDDA has found a methodology in which experts prepare their data at home in a harmonised way, the working group compares and analyse the data together, and then the experts go back home with those data. What has been tried is to send an SPSS routine to the experts, so they can check and prepare their data for analysis, without having to bring the data in Lisbon.
- Best Practice Portal. There are two aspects in the work in this area: the first is to answer to the questions what works ? This is the work of Marica Ferri and coll. The second is monitoring the quality of the provision of services, and this is where EDDRA is playing a role.
General comment Spokespersons
Complexity and comprehensiveness looks overwhelming to the NFPs, but are also very interesting. It is difficult to see in all those activities which ones will have an impact on the work of the NFPs. We may improve in smaller scale meetings to see what belongs to the work of the EMCDDA without necessarily affecting the work of NFPs, except that they benefit from that, and those things and activities for which there might be consequences for the organization of the work of the NFPs.
Overall conclusion
“LET’S BE AMBITIOUS TOGETHER”
To be further elaborated by RTX Coordination in the working paper on the implementation of the RTX Development Strategy (not only in reaction to the difficult situation of some NFPs, but also in anticipation of future changes in the environment of the NFPs).
RTX Spokespersons to summarize comments to WP 2011, that will be included in the doc to be presented to the MB.
6. Guidelines 2011